


odds & ends

by bluhen



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Male Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Miqo'te Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Pining, Pre-Relationship, Repression, bonding over food (Again, does that. count? its comfort at least, i hate these two
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:20:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26147053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluhen/pseuds/bluhen
Summary: it's only natural for thancred to worry about a fellow scion. he doesn't understand why rihnn is so embarrassedーor why he is, for that matter.
Relationships: Warrior of Light/Thancred Waters
Kudos: 11





	odds & ends

**Author's Note:**

> i started writing this while still in sb, and it got really funny in hindsight considering they get divorced in shb. doesn't mean i feel any less about them. sorry for not being able to write thancred waters. for a bit of background for those not familiar with my ocs, my wol [looks like this](https://toyhou.se/4905387.i-rihnn/gallery#23319511) and, seeing as this is set in arr, is currently Very Depressed. it's fine though

Thancred’s coat is comfortable around him, a feeling certainly owing at least in part to the fact it’s warm from the man himself, and that it smells like him. This is, however, possibly the most embarrassing thing I’rihnn has had to confront in the past half-decade, so he is absolutely not confessing as much. Though he does allow himself clutching it tighter around his personーreally, it’s rather more like burrowing into it. He’s upset. He tends to do this, when he’s upset, burrow into warm spots and try to stop thinking.

There’s a light knock on the door, and the owner of the coat walks in. “Oh, you’re awake now. That’s good.” The last part is muttered softer than the rest. Likely not out of shame, but for the fact it’s said more to himself than anything.

“Mm.” A pause. “...I didn’t know you had this.” It’s enough to take Thancred off guard. An entirely genuine feeling of surprise about such a trivial thing…

He can’t help but break into a lopsided smile. “What, did you think a tunic was the only thing in my wardrobe?” He settles down next to I’rihnn on the bed, to his left as always, on the side of his good eye. He's balancing a tray with… a bowl on it on his lap? Why…?

I’rihnn doesn’t respond. It’s painfully obvious it’s out of shame, flusteredness. “Mm. Why’d you give it to me?”

“Ah… That, well…” He rubs the back of his neck. “You seemed to have passed clean out at some point. I had gone out earlier, and the weather called for a bit extra. So I happened to have it on me. In any caseーwhen I saw you, now, I hate to interrupt your rest, but you were entirely unresponsive not only when I tried to wake you, but when I picked you up to bring you here as well.”

I’rihnn’s head jerks up to face him, eyes wide. Thancred can’t help the way his smile grows. “Youー _ carried _ me?”

“Naturally! Slumped in a chair is no way to get your beauty sleep, and you weren’t waking up. What was I to do?” He neglects to mention how buzzing-warm it felt to scoop him up and see the way he nuzzles into him. He knows not to think any more of it than that he was sleepy and wanted warmth. He  _ knows _ .

“Leave me be,” I’rihnn grumbles. He tugs at the coat. Notably, he has yet to relinquish it. Thancred chooses not to comment on that just yet. (perhaps it’s because he actually rather likes the sight of i’rihnn wearing his clothes, but he’s not quite ready to admit that.)

“I’m afraid that wasn’t an option, nor will it ever be.” He nudges I’rihnn’s arms aside enough that he can place the tray in his lap. “Besides, what’s done is done. Here, eat something.”

I’rihnn looks up at him, to the tray, back to him. He has the most incredulous face on that Thancred’s seen in quite a time from him. If nothing else, it was nice to see him expressive. He really,  _ really _ looks like he wants to protest, but apparently decides to just drop it instead. He doesn’t blame himーhe doesn’t plan on ever making it easy for him to win the argument of “just let me rot alone already”.

After a moment he does try the meal in front of himーsome kind of soup? ...No, it’s thick enough that it’s likely stew. It carries a familiar taste of beef and onion, hot enough that the warmth permeates through his chest, in more ways than one. Ah… It was…

“...Did you make this?” He asks.

Thancred seems almost bashful. “Well… Er, I had a bit of help, but yes.”

I’rihnn stares him down for a moment. “...I’ll teach you how to make it better.”

“Huh?”

“You messed up the recipe. There’s too much broth, for one.”

This… was not  _ any _ of the reactions Thancred had prepared himself for. “...What? Is it that much of a difference?”

I’rihnn nods. “It’s thicker too, for one… You also used the wrong things. These flavors don’t mix together well. It’s not  _ bad _ , just not the right way. That’s all.”

Thancred is trying very hard not to laugh in spite of himself. “This is more than I’ve heard you talk in ages. I didn’t even know you  _ knew _ how to cook.”

I’rihnn won’t look him in the eye. “It’s one of the few things I’m good at, I guess.” 

He knows he shouldn’t, but he lets it slip anyway. “You’re good at  _ far _ more than a ‘few’ things, Rihnn.” He keeps going before the other can protest. “Though I’d love to learn from you. Perhaps I could even make something you wouldn’t turn up your nose at sometime.”

The humor seems to have missed I’rihnn, because he looks a bit dampered by it. “I wasn’t… It’s good. I… was tryin’ to explain how you could make it  _ better _ .”

“Oh, Rihnn, you know I don’t mean it!” He’s tempted, despite himself, to pat his shoulder, but he knows better by now. (there’ve been enough incidents where he touches him unexpectedly and almost gets his wrists broken that he’s learned the hard way, at least. but the urge never seems to have gone away.) “I’m sorry.” His tone more genuine, now.

I’rihnn responds no further than the usual hum. But, Thancred notes with a feeling of pride somewhere in his chest, he  _ does _ keep eating. In factーif he mayーhe seems a bit ravenous, even. He’s glad he trusted his gut feeling that it was fairly certain I’rihnn wouldn’t have eaten lately. (though, how much of it is intuition when he’s seen him skip out on meals so many times?)

Thancred busies himself with filling I'rihnn in on anything at all. Let's see… Minfilia would like them to go out into Thanalan soonーnothing too dire, but important nonetheless.  _ I'll go with you, if you like,  _ he says without thinking.  _ It's better not to go alone. _ (why does he  _ need _ to think it through? it's not like it carries that much weightーsafety in numbers, and all. besides, he likes covering for rihnn's right. feels more secure knowing someone's there to make sure he's not caught off guard, and who does he trust to protect him more than himself? ...this is a terrible excuse, and that's a pathetic question for him.)

The older doesn't respond for a few moments. He’s about to start explaining himself again before he’s cut off by I’rihnn’s hand over his own. It’s definitely to get his attention, and it works, but for whatever reason he won’t look at Thancred’s face.

“...Thank you.” His touch is light, barely brushing against the back of Thancred’s hand, but still there. (still feeling like it could burn him.) 

“It’s nothing, really. Just looking out for a fellow Scion.”

“No, it’sー” I’rihnn cuts himself off abruptly, seeming frustrated. Thancred knows enough to give him the time he needs to piece his words together. 

He feels I’rihnn fall into leaning against his shoulder, slow with a hesitance as if either of them were fragile. He feels immobilized. He has no idea why. It’s not like he hasn’t been this close to plenty of people throughout his life. Is it because it’s I’rihnn? Because he’s so closed-off normally? Is he just losing his edge? Ah, he can’t think straight. Maybe he should just stop thinking. 

“You… You won’t… give up on me.” Thancred hears a shaking in his voice that’s all too familiar. Is he  _ crying _ ? He’s never seen I’rihnn cry before. 

It feels so difficult to gather his thoughts. "...Of course not. I would never."  _ You're important to us _ , he doesn't say, but he hopes he feels it.

A few moments of quiet. Then, softly, as if frightened, "I wish you would."

What…?

...No… No, he understands. He'd be a liar if he claimed not to, and intimately so.

Which is precisely why he must remain so firm in this. 

"I'm sorry. I'm awfully cruel, I know, but that's one wish I just can't grant you."

"I can't understand  _ why _ ." He mumbles.

Thancred doesn't think nearly long enough on his words before they slip out. "Perhaps you don't need to. You're simply important to me, and this is unerring fact. That's all." 

He hears I'rihnn scoff against him. "Mm. Right, right." A pause, and then soft laughter. “Geez. You’re a real sap, y’know that? Doing this kinda thing… Makin’ me  _ cry _ !” It’s followed by him almost theatrically wiping at his face with his arm. Painfully clear it’s a distraction from that moment of vulnerability, but… Well. Thancred was not one in a place to call it out, nor would he at a time like this. Trying to smile even when it was so clear he was doing terribly…

Thancred can hardly help himself from wrapping an arm around his shoulder and pulling him closer. He feels I’rihnn tense up a bit, likely from surprise. “Just know we’re all here, and care about you. You don’t have to brave everything all on your lonesome, yeah?”

I’rihnn snorts. “Rich comin’ from  _ you _ .” 

“ _ Ha ha. _ I’m trying to be nice.” 

“I know! I know! ...Sorry.” He rubs at his face again. “For… Uh… All of this. You shouldn’t have t’ take care of me like some kid. And I shouldn’t have… I didn’t mean t’... let that slip. Shouldn’t’ve said it.”

“Hush. It’s fine. I said it was nothing and I meant it. Besides, I did it because I wanted to, not because I thought you needed looking after or something.”

“...Mm. Whatever you say. ...Still, thank you.” I’rihnn sighs, does a kind of stretch. “...So are you on? F-For me teaching you about cooking, I mean.”

Thancred’s first impulse is to say no, partially out of pride and partially because he can’t particularly foresee himself taking on this duty in the near future. But then he thinks about getting to spend a bit more time with I’rihnn that doesn’t have a heavy cloud of grief hanging over them, and almost blurts out a different answer. “Sure. But first, our ‘mission,’ or Minfilia will scold me.”

“Again, you mean? Honestly, I’d fear Shtola more than her…” 

Thancred swats him lightly, and he laughs. He doesn’t have the heart to tell him it’s more not wanting to disappoint her than fear. Y’shtola, however… I’rihnn interrupts his train of thought with a seemingly very sudden realization that he was still wearing Thancred’s coat, and a hurried, embarrassed ‘here, sorry,” as he shoves it back to him. It’s kind of cute.

I’rihnn clearly doesn’t want to talk about it, and instead brush it off immediately and pretend it never happened. But the sentiments he expressed would stick in Thancred’s mind, he’s sure of that much. He knew of some, but perhaps he’d never know it allーbut it was enough to be familiar with how the newest Scion was too distant to not have some kind of heavy burden on his shoulders. ...He was oddly fine with that, never knowing more. As long as he could keep supporting him somehow.

...This is a terrible train of thought and it must stop this instant. He decides to cut it off by forcing his focus elsewhere. “Right, right, so what say you? I figure we could get it out of the way today, even, if we’re quick about it.”

“I’ll take it as a challenge, then. How about that? See if you can get done faster than me. That’d do it, yeah?”

Thancred is taken off guard for only a moment before he lets a smirk onto his face. “Oh? Rare that I get to see you this feisty. Alright, I’m game. Don’t be upset when you lose, though.”

“Ha! Like I’d ever let  _ you _ beat me.” It’s said with a brightness still unfamiliar to his face to Thancred. He’s happy enough to see it that he lets the taunting go. If just a little game could keep that smile, then he’d be more than happy to lose. 


End file.
